Estonia's unit based in Helmand province in Afghanistan has acquired six new US-made International MaxxPro armored vehicles.

The combat vehicles are designed to carry out battle tasks in small urbanized areas and provide protection against tank mines, handheld weapons and improvised explosive devices, according to the Defense Forces.

The vehicle has a V-shaped hull, which deflects the blast of a mine away from the vehicle to protects its occupants.

With a 12.7-mm machine gun and an observation tower, the vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 105 kph. It can also cross water up to one meter deep and protect troops against radioactivity and biological weapons.

Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and former minister of health and labour, Jevgeni Ossinovski expects poverty in Estonia to decrease as an effect of the current government's income tax reform, though the actual impact will become clear only after data is evaluated next year.